Episode 8: Covid-19 Special

In today’s episode of the Razor Podcast we look at how science is fighting COVID-19. 

In our first story, Shini Somara tells us how understanding aerodynamics can help us better understand how COVID-19 spreads. Shini speaks to Bert Blocken about his study, which has mapped the flow of particles we breathe out to see how they are affected by rapid movement. 

Blocken explains why countries around the world have issued different advice on social distancing [02:03]. We also learn why cycling and running can lead to greater spreading of COVID-19 and how we can help limit the virus’s reach [04:00]. 

In our second story, Emma Keeling speaks to Emma Hodcroft, co-developer of Nextstrain, an open-source project to harness scientific data on pathogens, the organisms that cause disease. Nextstrain tracks Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and is essential to limiting our exposure to it. 

Hodcroft explains how it works and how the hunt to better understand seasonal flu led to a greater understanding of the seasonal patterns of the disease [09:05]. We also learn why this tracking might have a Western bias and what’s being done to ensure countries won’t be excluded due to a lack of resources [14:30].